A/N: Hi everybody, me again. Unfortunately, my beta's mother became offended at some of the implied things that aren't actually supposed to happen in my story, so I am back to beta-less. However, I am now a beta for Jenie, and her stories are pretty good for anyone in need of more reading matter. I will try to be good and get my chapters typed up, but if I'm quicker now that means I will be slower later. Review if you have anything to say. Oh, and I'm really sorry about what I do to Hermione in this chapter. But at least I reveal a secret or two.
Disclaimer: I don't own any real Harry Potter characters or concepts. I don't own anything that is quoted from Lord of the Rings. Thanks to all those who do. I also don't own the idea for a "claimer" after the disclaimer, but I can't remember where I got it. The jewelry still all belongs to Kelly.
Claimer: Persephone is mine, and in case you weren't sure, she is Draco's older sister. If anyone needs her though, just tell me. And the whole Hermione Lupin thing is mine as well. That one I'm less willing to share unless it's a really good story.
Thanks-
To LoPotter for the general idea of Draco having a sister.
To energy, for reminding me how useful the Creeveys are.
Chapter 6-Goodbye
Hermione fell out of a fireplace into a darkened living room. She heard the sound of running water around a corner, and saw a light. She followed them, and saw a black-haired man standing over a sink, washing dishes.
"Sirius?"
He dropped the plate in surprise, then turned around to see who was in his kitchen. He just stared at her, shocked.
"Lily?" he half-whispered, after a minute.
"No Sirius, it's Hermione, Harry's friend."
"Hermione? What are you doing here?"
"I really needed someone to talk to. Do you mind?"
"No, not at all. I just wasn't expecting company. Here," he said, drying his hands on a dishtowel. "Let's go into the living room."
She nodded, and followed him back. They both sat down on the couch, he turned in from one corner, she cross-legged, sideways, in the other.
"What's up?"
She spilled out her story, everything from the beginning of the summer, ending with Professor Lupin's announcement.
". . . And he said not to tell anyone, but that's just too much to ask. I needed to talk to someone, and I thought you might understand."
Sirius was a very good listener. He waited patiently, not showing the least bit of surprise at anything.
"So let me make sure I've got all of this right. [A/N: I put little summaries like this in every so often to keep my readers up to date and make sure they understand everything.] You are the daughter of Remus and Lily, and Harry's half-sister. Ron, one of your best friends, thinks he is in love with you. Draco, your former enemy, is now being uncharacteristically sweet to you, and under orders of Dumbledore is acting the part of your security blanket. Besides that, he has become attractive and your dream self seems to be in love with him. Is that mostly it?"
"Yes, that sounds about right."
"Okay. Do you want to know what I think?"
She nodded quietly.
"I think Remus, while perfectly within his rights, is being a selfish prat. I will tell him you came to talk to me, and I think you need to tell Harry about your parents. Treat Draco like you would someone you didn't used to hate, and if possible don't let him know what your dreams are about. And-well, try to be nice to Ron, but no more so than usual. And mind you don't take your showers so late."
"I guess you're right. Thank you Sirius." She stood up and hugged him.
A clock down the street chimed ten. "Oh no, it's time for lights out, I need to get back!"
"Well how'd you get here?"
"Floo powder."
"Drat. I'm fresh out. The neighbors probably have some, but it's a little late to bother them. I could apparate you to just outside the grounds and walk you back-"
"No good. They've started locking the portraits in the evenings. Only teacher have the keys."
"Hmm. We could just take my broom and sneak you in your window."
"Well, I guess that would work. I'm not much of a flier, though. Thank you so much Sirius, you're the best."
He smiled, and went to grab his broom from the closet. They went outside, and Sirius mounted. "Well, c'mon. Get on behind me. And hold in tight, we have a long ride."
Hermione got on and grabbed him around the middle. They took off, and she briefly wondered what Harry would think if he saw them, but quickly put it from her mind. It had been a long day, and she slowly drifted off to sleep on his back.
"Hermione?" he said, grabbing her arm. "We're here. You've got to wake up or I can't get you through the window."
"All right."
They lighted on the small ledge by the window, and he opened it before helping her off.
"Thank you so much Sirius."
"Good night."
She climbed in and watched him fly off before slipping out of her robes and pulling her pajamas on. She collapsed on her bed, not bothering to get under the covers, and instantly fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco was gone. He hadn't been seen or heard from in months. She was alone. Harry and Ron still visited her often, but they had lives to live. She saw other people from school occasionally, but she had never really gotten very close to the rest of them. The Department of Mysteries had hired her right after graduation, so she could really make friends at work. Her Muggle parents had been missing for over a year, and her father was off on a mission for Dumbledore.
She was all alone. She came home from work to a dark, empty house, and read Muggle books until she fell asleep from exhaustion. It was a pitiful existence.
Every girl contemplates suicide at one point or another. Not many are serious, and fewer actually try. The only time she had was back in her first year, right before the troll entered the bathroom. She was alone then, too. But not many twelve-year old girls actually go through with it.
She picked up a quill and parchment from her desk and began to scribble out a note.
Dear Ron and Harry,
I'm writing this to tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry for nagging, I'm
sorry for fighting, I'm sorry for keeping secrets, and I'm sorry for being
an insufferable Know-It-All for years.
Thank you for being my friends, and for saving my life so many
times. Thank you for putting up with me, and making me feel wanted.
Never did a girl have such a great brother, or such a wonderful friend.
I love you both dearly.
I want Harry to keep Crookshanks. Ron can have my photo album.
Give my necklace to Harry's oldest daughter when she gets her letter, it
should stay in the family. Give my ring to someone who will watch over
my boys for me. Do what you want with the rest of my things, but give my
wand to Draco if you ever see him again.
Goodbye,
Love forever,
Hermione Granger Lupin
Slowly she took off her necklace and ring and set them with the letter where Harry or Ron would be sure to find them. Then slowly she picked up a knife. She pushed, and a drop of red appeared against her pale skin. She pulled it across her wrist, and the blood began to flow freely. She set down the knife as the world grew black, and then she collapsed on the floor.
Draco heard a noise from Hermione's room. He set down his studying, and slowly went in, only to find her lying in a heap on the floor. He went over and moved her a little, then saw the blood. The side of her arm was coated with it, and there was a large stain on her white nightgown.
"Coagulatio," he whispered, and the oozing blood seemed to slow down a little. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the fireplace. "Hospital wing," he shouted, after throwing a large pinch of green powder into the flames.
"Madam Pomfrey, Madam Pomfrey!" The short figure slowly padded out of her office in her dressing gown.
"What are you doing, waking me up at this hour?"
"It's Hermione! She hurt herself."
"Lets see," she said, leading him over to a bed and lighting the candles around it.
He gently set her down on the bac, and the nurse examined the wound. "I was under the impression Ms. Granger had more sense than this."
"What?"
"Nothing." She padded over to her cupboard and grabbed clean cloths and a small green bottle. After the cut was wiped clean, she poured a small amount of potion on the remainder of the cloth, and bandaged her arm.
"Listen," she said, after a moment, startling Draco. "That cut will heal quickly, the potion will see to that, but she's lost a lot of blood. There's nothing we can do about that except wait for her to recover."
"How long will that take?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know how much she lost, but I expect that she will be ready to return to class in about two weeks. Oh, and Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind staying with her? I want someone to be here when she wakes up, but I need to sleep."
"No, not at all ma'am." He pulled over a tall stool and seated himself, leaving Madam Pomfrey to plod back to bed. Draco grabbed Hermione's hand, only to find it colder than his own.
'What did you do to yourself, 'Mione? I've never known anyone to attempt suicide in their sleep. What is going on inside that head of yours?" Smirking, he fell asleep.
Draco woke up at nine the next morning with Madam Pomfrey tapping him on the shoulder. "Mr. Malfoy? After you've eaten breakfast, you should probably go put on clean clothes. It would be best if you spoke to the Headmaster about what happened last night. How long do you wish to stay here?"
"Until she is ready to leave, if that's all right. She might do something else to herself if she is left alone."
"I understand. Here," she said, passing him a tray of French toast.
He finally let go of Hermione's hand and got a look at her. The side of her nightgown was still blood red, but there was no stain on the bandages. Her skin, which had been ivory pale before, was now a ghostly bloodless white. She looked dead, except for a barely perceptible movement of her chest.
He ate quickly and left, with a parting glance at her still form. The first class of the day had begun, so the halls were empty and he reached the Head room without having to deal with anyone. The portraits were confused as to how he had gotten out, but he wasn't in the mood to chat. He took a shower, and realized his shirt was stained with her blood.
Drying off, he slipped into clean school robes and headed down to Dumbledore's office. "Blood pop." The ride up the stairs seemed to take forever. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Come in."
He did. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, reading a newspaper Draco didn't recognize. He folded it up before Draco could get a good look at the headline. "What can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"It's Hermione, sir."
"What can I do for you, Ms. Granger, then."
"That's not what I meant. It's about Hermione."
"Well, all right. Will you tell me what it is about her?"
"Last night, at about one, I heard a noise come from her room. I went over to check on her, and she was lying on the floor with her left wrist slashed. She's in the hospital wing right now."
"This is troublesome news."
"Sir, would it be all right if I stay with her until she recovers?"
"Of course. We can't expect you to be of any use to her if you can't be near her. You will be excused from classes until Poppy sees fit for her to attend her own. I will have Mr. Zabini [A/N: I do believe Blaise is confirmed to be a male name.] and Mr. Weasley deliver your assignments while you are there. You should probably stop by your room to get your books and spare robes."
Draco excused himself and returned to his room. He filled a bag with a few changes of clothes, his school books, and toiletries. By chance, Hermione's door was still open and he realized she probably needed some things too. He grabbed two black robes, a nightgown, a few undershirts, and a pair of pants from her dresser, a toothbrush from her night table, and a few books from her trunk. He magically expanded his bag to fit them in, and headed back up to the hospital wing.
It was about a quarter to eleven when he got back up. Hermione hadn't moved, and she stilled looked dead. "Madam Pomfrey? I brought some clothes for Hermione to change into. Her clothes are a little messed up."
She had come over when she heard the door, and nodded. He gave her an undershirt and a set of robes fro the bag, and she grabbed a basin of water and a washcloth. Then, pulling the curtain around Hermione's bed, she pushed Draco away.
He sat on an empty bed and pulled out his Arithmancy book. He couldn't concentrate on it very well, so he just left it open on his lap and allowed his mind to drift. He thought back to his father's command, before he disappeared at the end of the summer.
"After you have graduated, I will arrange for your job with the Ministry, as high up as possible. Upon my death, of course, you will be the new Lord Malfoy, and inherit the entire estate."
"What about Narcissa, and Persephone?" Draco had no great love for his family, but did care at least for their welfare.
"Narcissa will be cared for by the Lord Malfoy until her death. Persephone should be married by the time of my death."
"So she won't inherit anything?"
Lucius scoffed. "She has a vault in Gringotts with enough set aside for a decent dowry. That is all she will need."
Draco took that quietly, and then his father began again. "Am I right in assuming Hermione Granger is still top of your class?"
Draco looked down and bit his lip. "Yes sir. I'm sorry."
"Shut up. She is the only capable witch of your age. Therefore, she will be the next Lady Malfoy."
"But Father, she's a Mudblood."
"And Lord Riddle's father was a Muggle. But how can you allow a Muggle of no consequence to be ahead of a Malfoy? The Malfoys are always the best. Therefore, the best must be a Malfoy."
"Father, she hates me."
"That's not my problem."
And his father left, was gone the rest of the summer and not heard from. Persephone helped him, though she was never the best at giving advice. And that's what he really needed right then; he had no idea how to make his enemy fall in love with him, or even if he should. Well, that was more of a "if you value your life," but he didn't really want her to be in love with him any more than she wanted to be.
Draco slipped out of his mind as Madam Pomfrey shoved a tray of lunch in front of him. He ate it mindlessly, and reached back out for Hermione's hand. It was still icy cold, but holding it helped bring him back down to earth. He returned to his book, and by some sort of osmosis it made more sense than it had before.
He continued like that until dinner, when Ron and Blaise came (separately) with the day's assignments. He didn't much feel like talking to either of them, so he just his in the next bed and let them give their work to Madam Pomfrey. They didn't stay very long, but Ron opened Hermione's bed curtains to have a look at her. She looked dead, and his eyes went wide when he saw the cut on her wrist. As soon as he left the hospital wing, he ran to the Great Hall to join Harry.
"Harry, I've got to talk to you. I found Hermione."
"What? Where was she?"
"In the hospital wing."
"Why? What happened?"
Ron bit his lower lip. Harry would never believe it. He wasn't even sure he believed it himself. It didn't make any sense.
"Well?"
"Harry, she-" Ron's voice faltered, and dropped to a whisper. "I think she tried to commit suicide."
"What?"
"I know, I know, it makes no sense."
"Why?"
"Because she has a good life and seems happy?"
"No, why'd you think she tried to kill herself?"
Ron sighed heavily. "Her left wrist was slashed. She looked like she was dead."
Harry was at a loss for words. If Hermione had been in his place, she would have gone straight to a teacher. But his mind turned off, and he had no idea what to do. They are dinner, and silently walked back up to the Gryffindor common room.
Meanwhile, Draco had started on his work. Blaise had gotten all the teachers to write the assignments for the next two weeks, and had magically reproduced copies of all his notes. The assignments were relatively easy, and it only took him an hour or two to finish that day's. Hermione's hand was clammy, but beginning to feel a little warmer.
He looked through his bag and pulled out one of her books that he had brought. It was thick and leather bound, just like all the books he saw her with. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords, in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
He quickly became engrossed in the story, and was about fifty pages in when Madam Pomfrey came to blow out the candles. He slipped the ribbon bookmark into the heavy leather book, and set it back in the bag.
He fell asleep quickly, gently rubbing her hand with the pad of his thumb. The next day passed, he continued the story, occasionally reading a passage aloud to see how the words felt. Hermione didn't seem to notice, or at least she didn't respond. She looked a little better, with a bit of solidity returning to her flesh, and the hand he held didn't seem as lifeless as it had the day before.
This pattern continued until their fourth day there. Her unconsciousness had evolved into a fitful sleep from which she could not awake, and she kept mumbling "Goodbye," and "I'm sorry," and shaking violently. Draco took a break from that book and grabbed another, a thinner kidskin covered one, from his bag.
It was a photo album. There were baby pictures, Muggle ones, and pictures of her as a girl with Muggle friends and parents. A few postcards and school reports filled the first third of the book. Then there was her Hogwarts letter, and the beginning of the wizard pictures.
There were many of her alone, in and out of robes. There were some newspaper clippings, and pictures of Weasley and Potter. Some were from the Yule Ball in fourth year, and a few were candid pictures from around school. There was only one that had been taken since the beauty spell. It was from the night of the sorting, in her midnight blue robes right after Dumbledore had announced her as Head Girl. Her hair had been pulled out of her robe and hung all the way down her back. Her eyes were sparkling, and she wore the happiest smile he's ever seen. The picture was mostly still, but there were silver stars revolving around the edges of her robes and it blinked occasionally.
"Draco?"
The weak voice startle him, and he snapped the album shut. Hermione was sitting up, watching him.
"Hermione? You're awake!"
"Is it really you? How did you escape?"
"Of course it's me. How did I escape what?"
"He-he kidnapped you. I was so lonely. I tried to kill myself."
"Hold on a minute. What are you talking about?"
"You-know-who kidnapped you. It left me all alone, and I got depressed. I slit my wrist, then I blacked out in the kitchen." She began to cry.
"Hermione, it was just a bad dream. No one kidnapped me, I'm perfectly safe. You, on the other hand, I'm worried about. You slit your wrist, I don't know how, but you've been unconscious in the hospital wing since Monday night."
"When is it now?"
"Friday afternoon."
She stared at him wide-eyed. "Have you been here the whole time?"
He smirked. "Bit of a shock, isn't it. Seems like you aren't quite as capable as you like to pretend. What would you do without us men here to save your life, Mudblood?" He winced. 'Where did that come from? I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!'
"I'm not."
"What?"
"My parents were a witch and a wizards." 'Good going. Draco's the one you want to confess the family secrets to.'
"So you've just been pretending to be Muggle born and subjecting yourself to erroneous emotion trauma for the last six years for the fun of it? You know, you are the last person I'd suspect of masochism. Of course, you're also the last person I'd suspect to try to commit suicide, but you seem to have proven me wrong there as well."
"Oh shut up. I'm adopted. I found out Monday night."
"Really. Were your parents anyone I know?"
"Yes." 'Crud. Why can't I keep my mouth shut?'
"Who?"
"Remus Lupin and Lily Evans."
"So you're-"
"They were married."
That took Draco a moment to figure out. "That's not what I was going to say. I was merely confirming that this makes Potter your half-brother."
"Yes."
"And you two are dating? Isn't that incest?"
"We are not having sex. I'm a virgin. And we're not dating either."
"Yes, and I am a world class tap dancer. However, anytime you care to return to the real world, you are welcome to."
"Seriously. I did something Harry didn't like, and he got me back by pretending to be my boyfriend."
"Ah. Right."
"When did you return to being Mr. Antagonist? I think I liked you better the other way."
"The argument brought it on. Should I just return to being Mr. Chivalrous and Sexy?"
She reached out to hit him with her pillow, but he caught her wrist and pinned her back down to the bed. His eyes were flashing dangerously, and she cowered under his grip.
"Draco, you're hurting me."
He started to smirk, the a small twitch coursed through him. He seemed to realize what he was doing, and let go of her.
"I'm sorry. I suppose I've had a little too much experience with self-defense. It probably isn't a good idea for you to try to fight me. My instincts take over, and I could to you great harm before I had the control to stop myself."
"I'm a big girl. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"Hermione, I've been trained to fight. I could kill you with my bare hands. Worse, if I had a wand."
"No offense, but I am the more skilled wizard."
"Don't you get it? This is what the Dark Arts are. The magic that comes from the more primal, instinctive part of the brain. That's why there are so many mindless Dark wizards, servants to a lord. That's why they can cause so much pain without remorse. In almost all wizards, the more black magic they learn, the more that part of their brains takes over. The few that can retain control over themselves gain power easily over those who can't. That's also why there are more dark wizards than witches."
"Why?"
"Testosterone adds a lot to the mindless violence and competitiveness."
"So why would people learn black magic if it makes you lose your mind?"
"Power. Black magic is stronger, it gives them more power."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Before he could come up with an answer, Madam Pomfrey came in. "I'm glad to see you awake, dear. You have a visitor, should I send him in?"
"Just let me clear out first." Draco grabbed his bag and slipped into the next bed, with the curtains drawn, so he could hear what was going on.
It was Harry. "Hermione! You're alive! Don't ever do that again. Why did you do that in the first place?" He leaned over the hospital bed and hugged her tightly. "Blimey, didn't you think about what losing you would do to the rest of us?"
"I'm sorry! I was asleep."
Had the situation not been so morbid, thinking about that would have made him laugh.
"Harry, I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"You're my brother."
"What?!"
"Well, half-brother, actually."
"Huh?"
"We have the same mum. Remus is my father."
"How dare she?"
"They were married!"
"No, no, you. How dare you go and hide all this from me?"
"I just found out on Monday! That's why the beauty spell made me look like her. I was supposed to, but she put a spell on he as a baby to hide me."
"Sorry. Do your parents know?"
"Obviously. C'mon Harry. 'Did you have a baby while I was gone?' 'Maybe, I don't remember.' Really!"
"Right. So you're my half-sister?"
"Yes."
"Who knows?"
"Remus, you, me, Sirius, and Draco."
"Draco?"
"I didn't mean to."
He looked at her skeptically.
"He called me a mudblood."
"What was he doing with you in the first place?"
It just occured to her that she didn't know. 'When in doubt, lie.'
"We do live right by each other, you know."
"Right, forgot. Sorry. So how long will it be before you're up and about again?"
"I'm not sure. I just woke up this afternoon."
"I've got Quidditch practice, so I can't stay too long. You get better, all right? My grades slip when I have to do my own homework."
She moved to hit him, but he caught her in a hug. "'Mione, I love you. Mind if I tell Ron?"
"He might get jealous."
He smiled and lay her back down on the bed. "You are such a goofball. Get some rest. I'll see you soon?"
"Sure. Bye Harry."
After Harry left, Draco stepped out from behind the curtains. "I'm impressed. You lied about me to your brother. Does this mean you want me to just be your secret boyfriend?"
"Where did that come from? I don't want you as a boyfriend, especially not a secret one. But it wouldn't be very easy to convince him of that when you've been at my bedside all week. Speaking of which, why have you been at my bedside all week?"
"Remember what I said Monday? Dumbledore's orders, I'm supposed to stay close and take care of you. As you don't seem to be able to take care of yourself."
"Can't Madam Pomfrey take care of me while I'm in here?"
"She wanted someone to be here when you woke up."
Hermione, who had gotten some of her color back, paled and started losing focus with ehr eyes.
"Hermione, you should probably try going back to sleep before you black out again. I'm afraid we've been a little draining."
She had already been lying down, and so just weakly nodded and closed her eyes.
When her body relaxed, Draco grabbed her hand again. It was calming to have something to hold on to. Blaise showed up a few minutes later with that day's notes, but Draco just pulled the curtains around Hermione and lay down in the next bed, faking sleep as he had every other time. The last thing he needed was word spread to the Slytherins how he had spent the last week.
Blaise came over to Draco's bed with a stack of parchment. He didn't look long al the body with looked about the same as is had all week, just set his load down on the bedside table and left. After Draco heard the click of the door shutting, he returned to Hermione. She hadn't moved, so he returned to his seat and took her hand as he set to his homework.
The next day, Madam Pomfrey woke them both for breakfast. She set pillows up, so Hermione didn't have to waste energy on back support. The meal was rather quiet, as neither was used to being in close confines with the other and getting along.
"Hermione, do you realize what happened Monday night?"
"I became a full-blooded half-orphan with a brother, snuck out of and in the grounds illegally, and tried to kill myself?"
"The slightly less obvious part. I saved your life."
"How do you mean?"
"I came in and found you, and brought you here. If I hadn't, you would have bled to death."
"Thank you, then. And thank you for staying with me. I don't much care for being alone."
"So it would seem."
There was a sort of awkward pause. "Would it be too much to ask you to help me with my hair?"
"What?"
"Well, you see, it grew a bit over the summer and I keep sitting on the ends. It's quite painful."
"What would you like me to do with it?"
"Could you braid it?"
"Of course." [A/N: That's just the kind of thing guys have to learn when they have a sister. Also, I just realized that I am slowly turning Draco into my dream guy. Cute, smart, singer, gives back rubs, braids, gentle, sexy, slightly intimidating-go figure. There's more to him than I've shown you, promise.]
Draco had just tied it off when Hermione spied the thick pile of parchment on her bedside table. "What's that?"
"The work you missed."
"Who's been bringing it?"
"Weasley."
She whispered to herself, eyes rolled upwards. "Please let him have taken decent notes for once." She pulled herself back down to earth. "Ugh. How am I ever going to finish all that? I'm so tired."
"Well, you could always copy mine. We have mostly the same classes."
She replied to that with an icy glare.
"Right. Well, if you'd like and help or would like to use decent notes, just ask." She grumbled, but got to work on her own. She had to use Blaise's Arithmancy and Ancient Runes notes, but other than that they didn't talk much. Madam Pomfrey brought them lunch in the middle, raising an eyebrow at the heavy silence. It took Hermione hours, because she had four days worth of classes and homework to catch up on. Draco spent the entire time trying to puzzle through the first chapter of the Arithmancy book.
"Hermione?" he asked, when she seemed to have completed ehr stack.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think you could help me with the Arithmancy?"
"Since when were you in Arithmancy?"
"Since Father saw my Study of Ancient Runes marks. I was supposed to learn the first four years' worth over the summer so I'd be in with the 7th years, but I just don't understand any of it."
She patiently explained it to him, and together they worked halfway through the book. She was beginning to nod off, so he just shut the book. When he was sure she was asleep, he grabbed her hand. It was not long before he fell asleep as well.
Meanwhile, the Gryffindor common room was unusually sparse. Harry sat at a couch with a thick book on his lap. Eventually, he sighed and buried his head in his hands.
"Hullo, Harry," a small voice piped out.
"Hey Colin."
"Are you all right?"
Harry paused. "Colin, can you keep a secret?"
"Sure."
"I've got a sister."
"Hermione?"
"Her-hey, how'd you know?"
"I know a lot about you."
"I just found out yesterday."
Colin just grinned slyly.
"She's my half-sister, actually. Same mum."
"I bet that makes Ron happy."
"Huh?"
"Well, now there will definitely never be anything between the two of you."
"There never would have been anything between the two of us. We live in the same house. We were practically brother and sister anyway."
"Yes, but it must be awkward for him, with the two of you seeming so much closer, and always flirting."
"For heaven's sake, Colin, do you read minds or something?"
"That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"Thanks for listening. I guess I better get back to my work now."
So Colin left, relieved Harry had decided not to press a few issues. Anyway, he knew how to keep secrets. He had enough experience with his own to know how to keep his mouth shut.
A/N: Woohoo. How did everybody like that? I am sorry is Madam Pomfrey was a bit OOC, but luckily I fixed Lucius Malfoy in the middle of typing this. What do folks think of everything? Once again, I'm really sorry for what I did to Hermione, but I couldn't help it. It just sort of happened. I'm happy because I just got more reviews. If you want to know what to give a special ff.net author for Valentine's Day, review!
Thanks a bundle-
janmmci-Glad you found it, glad you liked it, there's more plot twisting coming up.
jen20069-I didn't even plan this, but now they know. I am in the middle of writing chapter 8, but I try to space them out so there won't be a huge break when I catch up or if I get writer's block.
Jenie-Thank you soooo much. I was just curious, because in the original version I think I had dropped too many hints and it spoiled the surprise.
ParvatiPadma-Glad to have you back. There will be some connection between Hermione/werewolfishness. Sorry, I can't bump off Draco yet. Or at least not for a while, he's kind of a major character in this story.
Storm Witch RD-Why does everyone keep saying I'm brave to add the whole 'Hermione-Remus-Lily' plot twist? Thank you ever so much. Actually, there is quite a bit more to the necklace, and I dropped a tiny hint (Sirius Black in HPSS tiny). We do get some more action, I promise.
Rhiannon Greenleaf-Well, she didn't really take it that calmly. She just isn't the type to stress out over things before at least trying to think about them. I hope this update is soon enough for you (and really awesome name!)
If you are in need of stuff to read-
Apple Pies and Enchiladas
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What Do You Say-Spirits from the Past
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most stories written by G*Ness
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Pretty good, I may have picked up a thing or two here
There will be more showing up later, along with other stuff.